Cheat Sheet
Top 10 Right Now
1
Cops Say Second-Grader Was the First to Alert Them About School Shooting
Tragedy
Updated 12.16.24 10:59PM EST 
Published 12.16.24 10:56PM EST 
A police vehicle is parked at the scene of a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. December 16, 2024.
A police vehicle is parked at the scene of a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. December 16, 2024. Cullen Granzen/Cullen Granzen/Reuters

A second-grader at Abundant Life Christian School was the one to alert police about the school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, Monday, according to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes. Speaking to reporters at a news conference Monday night, Barnes said, “Let that soak in for a minute…A second-grade student called 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report a shooting at school.” A 15-year-old girl, who’s since been identified by authorities as Natalie Rupnow–preferred name, “Samantha–” is believed to have opened fire at the private Christian school Monday morning, killing a teacher and another classmate. “The shooting happened inside a classroom in a study hall of students from mixed grades,” Barnes noted. Police also found evidence that suggests the shooter died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Barnes added that police are so far not looking to charge the suspect’s parents, sharing, “The parents are fully cooperating, we have no reason to believe that they have committed a crime at this time.”

Read it at Daily Beast

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

2

Judge Rules Against Trump’s Presidential Immunity in Hush Money Case

It's A No
Published 12.16.24 9:03PM EST 
President-Elect Donald Trump reacts during his meeting with Prince William, Prince of Wales at the Embassy of the United Kingdom's Residence on December 7, 2024 in Paris, France.
President-Elect Donald Trump reacts during his meeting with Prince William, Prince of Wales at the Embassy of the United Kingdom's Residence on December 7, 2024 in Paris, France. Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

New York Judge Juan Merchan ruled Monday that President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case should not be dismissed because of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity. After being found guilty in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records, Trump’s lawyers have pursued several avenues in hopes of tossing the case, including a formal motion to dismiss the case altogether now that he’s been elected president, which Merchan has yet to rule on. In his 41-page decision, Merchan honed in on Trump’s argument of presidential immunity and said that the evidence presented during the trial was related “entirely to unofficial conduct” and should therefore receive “no immunity protections.” Trump’s campaign spokesman Steve Cheung said in a statement that Merchan’s decision is a “direct violation of the Supreme Court’s decision on immunity, and other longstanding jurisprudence.” Trump’s lawyers are expected to appeal the decision, per CNN. Trump has yet to be sentenced, with prosecutors previously agreeing that the president-elect would not be sentenced while he is in office.

Read it at CNN

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Shop with Scouted

Turn Your Home Into a Smoking Sanctuary With These Chic Cannabis Essentials
HIGH STANDARDS
Updated 12.13.24 5:04PM EST 
Published 12.13.24 4:54PM EST 
Hands holding a marijuana cigarette over a NWTN Home Flower Pot Ashtray
NWTN Home

Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.

Consuming cannabis as an adult feels very different than doing so as a fresh-faced 21-year-old—so why should your smoking habits make your space feel like a disheveled college dorm room? NWTN Home’s collection of chic smoking essentials offers a more elevated way to enjoy cannabis in the comfort of your home.

NWTN Home is a smokeware brand bringing craftsmanship to the cannabis industry by designing what they call “homeware for the high-minded.” Its weed-associated products are built to double as elegant and functional houseware items, helping you upgrade your home into a full smoking sanctuary. Plus, they make the perfect holiday gifts for your favorite creative cannabis connoisseur!

This hand-poured, marbled ashtray rests atop a sleek melamine rolling tray and includes a helpful brass tool that can assist in your rolling process, making it the perfect blend of form and function.

This standout stackable flower pot ashtray set is a surefire solution to keep your space clean—and your houseguests impressed.

Flower Pots Ashtray Set
Available in four colors

No cannabis collection is complete without something to smoke out of! These avant-garde gravity bongs are inspired by vintage housewares and designed to seamlessly blend into your barware and greenware set-ups.

Vesper Gravity Bong
Available in four colors

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

3
First Trailer for ‘White Lotus’ Season 3 Teases a Star-Studded Ensemble
CHECK IN
Published 12.16.24 5:04PM EST 
Five people stand on a beach while waving.
Season 3 of ‘The White Lotus’ is set in Thailand. Fabio Lovino/HBO

The White Lotus is finally back. Helmed by a star-studded ensemble including Jason Isaacs, Carrie Coon, and Walton Goggins, the third season of The White Lotus is slated to premiere on HBO Feb. 16 after a two-year hiatus and is set to take audiences to the beaches of Thailand. The new season’s trailer teases numerous escapades, some hedonistic, some meditative, and others quite ominous. Along with its new cast of characters, The White Lotus is also bringing back season one’s beloved Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) for its third round at the mystery-soaked hotel chain, and features K-pop group Blackpink’s Lisa in her first acting role. Creator Mike White previously hinted that The White Lotus’ third season would explore spirituality, disclosing in an HBO clip pegged to the season 2 finale: “The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex. I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and eastern religion and spirituality.”

Read it at The Guardian

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

4
Gigi Hadid Has a ‘Rat Problem’ at Her New York City Home
FURRY FRIENDS
Published 12.16.24 8:10PM EST 
Gigi Hadid attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2024 in New York City.
Gigi Hadid attends The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2024 in New York City. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Like many New Yorkers, Gigi Hadid has had to deal with some unwanted furry friends. In an interview with Architectural Digest published last week, the supermodel disclosed that she had to renovate parts of her home because she had a rat infestation. “My outdoor space in New York is getting a little update because we had a rat problem in New York,” Hadid told the outlet when asked about what she’d change about her home. “Some of the original designs of the space didn’t help that problem. So that’s what I’m looking forward to.” Hadid joins thousands of New Yorkers in sharing their not-so delightful experiences with the area’s rats, who have admittedly come to feel like residents. New York City mayor Eric Adams certainly had a vendetta against the city’s rodents, describing them as “public enemy number one” in a 2023 statement appointing Kathleen Corradi to be the city’s first “rat czar.”

Read it at Architectural Digest

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Shop with Scouted

Make Incredible Espresso Martinis on New Year’s Eve With This Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
ESPRESSO YOURSELF
Updated 12.13.24 7:42PM EST 
Published 12.13.24 7:39PM EST 
A table with four cocktails and a black bottle of Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur on it. Two of the drinks are being held by hands.
Mr Black

Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.

2025 is quickly approaching, and there’s no better way to celebrate the new year than with 2024’s cocktail du jour—the espresso martini. It’s the perfect way to toast 2025 with sophistication, flavor, and an energy boost. Think you can’t make the buzzy beverage at home because you’re not a bartender? Think again. You can create this beloved cocktail effortlessly with just a cocktail shaker, fresh espresso, vodka, coffee beans, and Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.

Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

It all starts in the land Down Under—Australia. Mr Black sources its ingredients, including 100 percent specialty-grade Arabica coffee, from local farmers and cooperatives. The liqueur is then slowly brewed with purified cold water to preserve its delicate, complex flavors. The result? A bittersweet masterpiece with bold flavor, balanced sweetness, and a lasting coffee kick. Its rich, coffee-forward taste is a crowd-pleaser, and the sleek bottle design adds a touch of elegance to any bar cart. Making an espresso martini is simple. Combine Mr Black, vodka, and freshly brewed espresso in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously until cold. Then, strain the mixture into a martini glass and finish with three coffee beans as a garnish. Skip the champagne toast this year and ensure you stay awake for the countdown to 2025 with a Mr Black espresso martini.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

5
Past FBI Informant Pleads Guilty To Lying About the Bidens
PANTS ON FIRE
Updated 12.16.24 3:16PM EST 
Published 12.16.24 3:07PM EST 
Alexander Smirnov, center, a confidential human source with the FBI, leaves the Lloyed George U.S. Courthouse, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Las Vegas. Smirnov is accused of falsely stating that executives with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Alexander Smirnov, center, a confidential human source with the FBI, leaves the Lloyed George U.S. Courthouse, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Las Vegas. Smirnov is accused of falsely stating that executives with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov has pleaded guilty to lying about a false bribery conspiracy that was once a main point of contention against Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Smirnov’s allegation sparked widespread controversy against the two Bidens, starting the House impeachment inquiry into the president by Republicans. Smirnov, 44, pleaded guilty to four federal charges relating to the fake allegations, as well as tax evasion charges that alleged he hid millions of dollars in income, according to The Hill. He told the FBI that the head of Burisma, a energy company in Ukraine, had paid the president and his son both $5 million. The allegations were false. No proof has been released that Joe Biden accepted bribes or engaged in corruption during his time as president nor vice president and he has denied all allegations. Court documents also revealed that Smirnov said he gave “false derogatory information,” according to The Hill. Smirnov had been an informant for more than a decade, his identity was not revealed until he was indicted. Smirnov, who will be sentenced next month, agreed to a sentence of between 48 and 72 months. An attorney for Smirnov declined to comment after the hearing in Los Angeles federal court.

Read it at The Hill

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

6
Harry and Meghan Share New Photo of Archie and Lilibet on Their Holiday Card
ALL SMILES
Published 12.16.24 5:31PM EST 
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle included a photo of their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on their annual holiday card for the first time in years. On Monday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a 2024 holiday card on behalf of The Archewell Foundation, the couple’s non-profit organization, that included a series of photos of their philanthropic work over the past year. One photo however, captured the parents with their children and their three dogs. Although their faces weren’t shown, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, could be seen running toward their mom and dad for a hug. “On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation,” the card began. “We wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year.” Prince Harry and Meghan famously used their 2021 holiday card to share the first photos of Lilibet to the world, marking their first holiday as a family of four.

Read it at People

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

7
Lauren Sánchez Reveals Son Will Attend Same College as Trump Kin
Nepo Baby Alert
Updated 12.16.24 3:49PM EST 
Published 12.16.24 3:45PM EST 
Lauren Sánchez at Kering's 3rd Annual Caring For Women Dinner held at The Pool on September 9, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Augello/Variety via Getty Images)
Lauren Sánchez at Kering's 3rd Annual Caring For Women Dinner held at The Pool on September 9, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Augello/Variety via Getty Images) Variety/Variety via Getty Images

Another child from a famous family is heading to the University of Miami. Lauren Sánchez, the fiancée of Jeff Bezos, announced that her son Evan Whitesell will study business at the school in Coral Gables, Florida, where Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, is currently enrolled. “My heart is bursting,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “Beyond proud of you. Love you.” Evan, whose father is Sánchez’s ex-husband Patrick Whitesell, will be attending the university next year, while Kai Trump is just a high school junior. In August, Kai Trump announced her plans to attend the university, thanking her grandfather and president-elect in an Instagram post. “I would like to thank my Grandpa for giving me access to great courses and tremendous support,” she wrote in the post. Bezos and Donald Trump have long feuded, but the Amazon mogul appears to have made amends with the president-elect in recent months, congratulating him on his victory and making plans to visit him at Mar-a-Lago.

Read it at Page Six

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

8
Luigi Mangione Documentary Already in the Works
KILLER PROJECT
Published 12.16.24 3:45PM EST 
HOLLIDAYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 10: Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led into the Blair County Courthouse for an extradition hearing December 10, 2024 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Mangione has been arraigned on weapons and false identification charges related to the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. Mangione is incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania awaiting extradition to New York. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
HOLLIDAYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 10: Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led into the Blair County Courthouse for an extradition hearing December 10, 2024 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Mangione has been arraigned on weapons and false identification charges related to the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. Mangione is incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania awaiting extradition to New York. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Less than two weeks after the shocking shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the first documentary about the alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, has been announced. The doc will explore how killers are created and the national conversation about whether Thompson’s assassination was justified. It will also delve into Americans’ grievances with rising costs and claim denials in the healthcare industry, Variety reported. Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League grad from a wealthy Maryland family, allegedly shot and killed Thompson in Manhattan on Dec. 4. The shooting prompted a five-day national manhunt, which ended with Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. In his reported manifesto, Mangione called healthcare companies “parasites” and said they “continue to abuse our country for immense profit.” The doc will be produced by Alex Gibney, who won an Oscar for his 2008 documentary Taxi to the Dark Side. He’s also currently in production on a documentary about Elon Musk and a documentary based on Salman Rushdie’s memoir.

Read it at Variety

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Partner update

This Performance-Enhancing Ring Vibrator Is Perfect for Couples
CAME FOR THE VIBES
Published 11.19.24 2:13PM EST 
A person holding MysteryVibe's Tenuto Mini Vibrator on a bed with white bed sheets.
MysteryVibe

Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.

Sex toys are a fun and spicy way to add more excitement to the bedroom. However, most are designed for solo pleasure—which is a lot less exciting.MysteryVibe solved this issue with its Tenuto 2 vibrator. Now, MysteryVibe has improved its design and effectiveness in the new Tenuto Mini.

The secret to the Tenuto Mini is the three robust motors that deliver powerful vibrations on key erogenous zones at the head or base of the penis. It’s made with a water-resistant and flexible silicone that fits most penis sizes, soft or hard. The vibrations stimulate the penis to increase blood flow and arousal for harder erections.

Tenuto Mini
30% off the original price

However, that’s not all this small-yet-mighty vibrator can do. The Tenuto Mini keeps men harder longer. Slide the vibrator down to the base of the penis to gently constrict blood flow, extending performance and pleasure. Plus, those powerful motors don’t forget the clit exists, stimulating it as well for mind-blowing pleasure.

Everything can be controlled via buttons on the vibrator itself or Bluetooth with the free companion app—opening up a whole new avenue of pleasure and play. With the app, you or your partner can explore and control 16 different vibrational intensity levels, fine-tuning the vibrator to both of your likings. Once you nailed it, save the vibration patterns for quick access for the next time. The only limitation is your imagination. Worried about privacy? MysteryVibe thought of that. The packaging is discreet and—as a bonus—the shipping is free.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

9
Nicole Kidman Reveals Moment She Almost Retired From Acting
BOMBSHELL
Updated 12.16.24 3:43PM EST 
Published 12.16.24 3:32PM EST 
Nicole Kidman
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Nicole Kidman almost retired before making some of her most popular projects from recent years, she said in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning. “I think I’m pretty much done now,” she recalled thinking in 2008, just after giving birth to her daughter Sunday, one of two children the actress shares with husband Keith Urban. “I’d moved to Nashville, we were living on a farm, and that’s when my mum actually said, ‘I wouldn’t give up completely. Keep a finger in it,’” Kidman said. Her mother Janelle Kidman died in September at the age of 84. Kidman credited her mom for her continuing her acting career, which led to more award-winning work for the already Oscar-winning actress, like Big Little Lies, Being the Ricardos, Bombshell, and more—including her buzzy new film Babygirl. Kidman said her mother told her, “‘Just listen to me. Keep moving forward,’” she also recalled. “‘Not saying you have to do it to the level you’ve been doing it, but I wouldn’t give it up completely.’”

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

10
Newlywed Learns Fate in Murder of Wife on Fiji Honeymoon
ESCAPED BY KAYAK
Published 12.16.24 4:44PM EST 
Christie Chen and Bradley Robert Dawson
Christie Chen/Instagram

A Fiji court has found a Memphis, Tennessee, man guilty of killing his wife on their honeymoon in 2022. Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, killed his new wife Christie Chen, 36, just two days after arriving in Fiji, the AP reported, with Dawson fleeing the scene of the hotel room by kayak. Chen was found in their hotel room after the two were reportedly heard arguing over dinner and resort staff didn’t see the couple at breakfast or lunch the next day. Chen had multiple blunt trauma wounds to her head, her family’s lawyer claimed that her body was so badly damaged she couldn’t be embalmed to be returned to the United States. Dawson, who is still in Fiji, will face a mandatory term of life in prison. The AP reported that the judge said he was “satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt” that Dawson committed the murder. The resort, located in Turtle Island, has a capacity for 14 couples on the remote 500-acre island.

Bradley Robert Dawson
FBC/Vimeo
Read it at Associated Press

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT